News

Update on measures after the tragedy at the Faculty of Arts

Dear colleagues,

In the wake of the tragic event that occurred before Christmas at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, I turn to you on the threshold of the year 2024 with updated information. This event continues to weigh heavily on most of us and it is obvious that we will be dealing with it as the entire academic community of Charles University for many weeks, or rather months. However, like the university administration and all the other deans, I am convinced that we must at the same time continue our academic activities and work to ensure that our university and faculty remain an open community of teachers, students and staff that contributes to the cultivation of humanistic values in our society.

Specifically, I would like to inform you of the following:

1. We will not be changing the schedule of the academic year, i.e., classes will continue in the last week of the semester, followed by the exam period.

2. However, if any student needs a specific approach to his or her studies in light of the events that have taken place, please contact Vice Dean Bittner ( ) who will try to find a solution to the situation.

3. Although this was an isolated incident of assault and according to information from the Police there is no indication of further threats, the University administration, together with experts, is working hard to develop measures to enhance the sense of security in all University buildings. The FHS administration also plans to strengthen and refine our faculty security measures in the coming calendar year. This includes the preparation of a security study of the soft targets of the FHS building, the development of methodological documents on how to act in crisis situations and the implementation of follow-up security training. At the same time, the faculty management has asked the university management to include FHS in the implementation of the university's upcoming KISS (Crisis Information and Convocation System) system, which enables rapid messaging in case of emergencies.

4. Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to all the staff and students who have been very quick to step up to provide various forms of support and assistance. We also offered the management of the Faculty of Arts immediately after the tragic event the possibility of using our premises in January and February, so that their exams and credits could take place in our building if they wished.

5. The CU referral for mental health support following a tragic event is shared in the previous update and again includes contacts where to go for help.

Dear colleagues, let us wish that the entire university emerges from this difficult and unprecedented situation, which has brought much pain from the irreplaceable loss of life and limb, as an even more cohesive community of teachers, students and staff united around the values of democracy, human rights and humanism on which our alma mater stands.

I wish you all the best in 2024.

Věra Sokolová,

Dean